Fans of Nickelodeon’s Victorious and iCarly rejoice! “Sam and Cat” is the network’s newest half-hour comedy series that celebrates the best of both beloved shows, which are now no longer in production (I cry a little every time I think about this fact,). The show features Jennette McCurdy, and the lovely Ariana Grande. As Ariana’s #1 fans, we here at The Pop Project can’t get enough of Grande, so we made it our mission to review this spunky new sitcom for you.

Grande portrayed the role of Cat on Victorious from 2010 until the show’s abrupt end in early 2013. Fans of the show were devastated and downright outraged by the show’s conclusion, or lack thereof. It has been said in the interwebs that the show’s end could be attributed to a certain lead actress’s decision to do a solo concert tour, abandoning her cast for her own personal glory…but that’s an irrelevant story. I mean…Victoria who?…

As Victorious came to a close, avid Nickelodeon viewers held on to their adoration for the loveable character Cat, as well as the badass, brash, and unapologetically hilarious character of Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) from iCarly, which had also come to an end three months prior to Victorious. So what happened next? Dan Schneider, creator of basically every single hit sitcom Nickelodeon has ever had cooking in his “bakery”, whipped up a fresh concept to satisfy the hunger of the crazed Victorious and iCarly fans. Behold, Sam and Cat was born.

The show premiered on June 8th, 2013, and let’s just say it did more than live up to my expectations. The show features Sam Puckett and Cat Valentine, who are roommates who start up their own babysitting service. Enter in a slew of colorful characters such as Cat’s eccentric Nonna, and neighbor kid “Dice”, as well as the babysitting clientele, and it makes for a hilarious and quintessential “Dan Schneider” masterpiece that is sure to satisfy fans of the previous shows, as well as new audiences. The premiere episode begins with Sam rescuing Cat from a garbage truck,as bizarre as that sounds. It actually makes for a whimsical and logical opening when you consider the characters involved here. Other notable moments from the episode include “Elderly Acres”, where we find Cat’s Nonna playing Twister and old people getting chicken wing tattoo (Yep. Totally normal in Dan Schneider’s world). The best part of the episode for me has to be the onscreen dynamic between Ariana and Jennette. Their comedic timing is impeccable, and their offbeat chemistry somehow works perfectly despite the vast differences in their characters. Cat herself said it best in the episode:

“We sort of have this whole, fun odd couple dynamic, with built-in conflict, and lots of potential for more adventures…”

As a self-proclaimed Victorious fanatic, and wannabe Cat Valentine, I for one cannot wait to see what adventures are in store for Sam and Cat this summer in what is sure to be yet another hit sitcom for the network.

Be sure to check out Sam and Cat every Saturday at 8pm on Nickelodeon.

Rating: 5 Mr. Purple Giraffes out of 5

Want even more fun? Check outDan Schneider’s blogfor exclusive “Fun Facts” about the debut episode of Sam and Cat!